Gripping hand for a manipulator

ABSTRACT

A gripping hand for a manipulator which consists of several hollow elements, simulating the human hand, which are linked to one another by articulations, whereby each member has a corresponding, reversibly actuated positioning drive and a sensor. For programming, the sensors detect the movements of the elements which are derived from a human hand inserted in the gripping hand, and the signals from the sensors determine the program which the elements perform, controlled by the relevant positioning drive. The gripping hand is associated with an arm which can be programmed by the movements of the gripping hand, if a human hand describing these movements is inserted in the gripping hand, and this arm can perform movements in three mutually perpendicular axes and rotary movements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a gripping hand for a manipulator, whichcomprises a plurality of hollow members simulating the human hand, whichare interconnected in an articulated manner, a reversibly actuatedpositioning drive and a sensor being associated with each member, forprogramming purposes the sensors detect the movements of the membersderived from a human hand inserted in the gripping hand and the signalsof the sensors determine the program performed by the members,controlled by the particular positioning drive, the gripping hand beingarranged on an arm, which is programmable by the movements of thegripping hand, if a human hand performing these movements is inserted inthe gripping hand and this arm is able to perform movements in threeaxes which are perpendicular to one another and also rotary movements.

Such a gripping hand is represented in WO No. 83/02249. It forms part ofa manipulator, comprising several arm members simulating the human arm,which are articulated to a breastplate, which is carried by a chassis.The chassis is positioned in linkages, whose end remote from the chassisis placed on a rigid support. In the roller chain between the rigidsupport and the gripping hand a positioning drive and at least onesensor is associated with each chain link. For programming themanipulator and the gripping hand, a person positions himself on thechassis and performs the movements to be programmed. These movements aredetected by the sensors associated with the members of the gripping handand the sensors associated with the chain links and the signals producedby the sensors are recorded and then determine the movements to beperformed by the manipulator and the gripping hand, in each casecontrolled via the positioning drives.

The manipulator is specially constructed.

A number of further manipulators are known, which are constructedaccording to the principle of a four or five joint unit. Such amanipulator is, e.g., shown in Austrian Pat. No. 365 503. It is known toequip such manipulators with a programming grip, so as to be able toprogram the manipulator movements. The programming grip is arranged onthe final member of the manipulator. During programming, the programminggrip is grasped and the sensors associated therewith produce signals,which are recorded and which simultaneously control the manipulatorpositioning drives, so that the final manipulator member on which theprogramming grip is arranged can follow a desired movement path. Theaforementioned Austrian Pat. No. 365 503 shows two embodiments of such aprogramming grip.

The problem is to connect the aforementioned gripping hand to a randommanipulator in such a way that at the same time as the programming ofthe movements of the members of the gripping hand, the manipulator canbe programmed and its part to which is fixed the gripping hand performsmovements which have to be carried out by the gripping hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following explanation is given of the solution for the problem.

With each of the members of the gripping hand is associated a sensor,which detects the movements of the member associated therewith when thisis moved by the hand. The recordings of the signals of the sensor thencontrol the positioning drive associated with said member.

A manipulator, whose members are not manually movable and whosemovements during programming are brought about by a programming grip bythe positioning drives thereof, takes place in a different way. Thesensors arranged in the programming grip detect the movements initiatedby the hand and convert them into electric signals. These electricsignals undergo coordinate transformation and lead to control signalsfor the individual positioning drives of the manipulator. If, forexample, a vertical movement is to be performed, then the sensorassociated with said vertical movement produces a signal which, aftertransformation, leads to control signals controlling more than onepositioning drive, in whose cooperation the vertical movement is broughtabout.

The present invention combines these separate programming principles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Two embodiments are described hereinafter relative to the drawings,wherein show:

FIG. 1, a part sectionally represented gripping hand and the connectionthereof to a manipulator are with a programming means according to afirst embodiment.

FIG. 2, a diagrammatic representation of the connection using aprogramming means according to a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The construction and operation of gripping hand 1 is described andillustrated in detail in WO No. 83/02249. Therefore, hereinafter onlythe movement of a thumb tip member 2 is described. Member 2 is connectedby means of a joint or articulation 3 to the finger intermediate member4. A Bowden cable 5, 6 is fixed to member 2 on either side of joint 3.Each Bowden cable 5, 6 leads to a hydraulic positioning drive 7, whichcomprises a cylinder with piston, to which the Bowden cable is fixed. Asensor 8, which detects the movements of the particular Bowden cable, isassociated with the positioning drive 7.

A hand is inserted in gripping hand 1 for programming purposes and tothis end the members of hand 1 are hollow. On moving the thumb of thehand, the movements of, e.g., the finger tip member 2 are transferred tosensors 8 associated with the Bowden cable 5, 6 and the signals thereofare recorded. On operating the gripping hand, these signals control thepositioning drives 7 associated with the Bowden cables 5, 6, so thate.g. the finger tip member 2 performs the movements previously performedby the hand and which are now programmed. All the positioning drives 7and sensors 8 are arranged on a hand back member 9.

The end of an arm of a random manipulator is designated 10 and to saidarm end 10 is connected a programming means 11, whose structure will bedescribed hereinafter. The end of programming means 11 remote from armend 10 has a coupling 27 by means of which said programming means endcan be connected to the hand back member 9. Parallel to programmingmeans 11 is provided a rigid connecting piece 12, which is fixed to armend 10. At its end remote from arm end 10, it is connected via acoupling 13 to a coupling piece 14, which is in turn connected via acoupling 15 to the hand back member 9.

For programming purposes, coupling 15 is released and, preferably bydetaching coupling 13, coupling piece 14 is removed, so that there is noconnection between hand back member 9 and connecting piece 12. However,member 9 is connected via coupling 27 to programming means 11. If ahuman hand 16 is inserted in the gripping hand, then the movementsthereof are transferred via coupling 27 to programming means 11. Thus,not only are the members of hand 1 programmable, as indicatedhereinbefore, but also the manipulator, to whose arm end 10 is connectedthe gripping hand 1 is programmable. The programming of the manipulatortakes place by means of programming means 11.

When programming is completed, the coupling piece 14 is inserted againand hand back member 9 is rigidly connected via couplings 13, 15 toconnecting piece 12 and therefore to arm end 10. The signals produced bythe sensors of programming means 11, following transformation, asrecorded control signals control the positioning drives of themanipulator and therefore the movements of the arm end 10 fed inbeforehand by hand 16. The control of the finger members of hand 1 takesplace by means of positioning drive 7 as a function of the previouslyrecorded signals of sensors 8, as produced during programming.

The connection between arm end 10 and programming means 11 is preferablydetachable, in that a coupling 17 is provided. Coupling 27 is releasedat the end of the programming process and prior to the insertion ofcoupling piece 14 and the gripping hand is then removed. The programmingmeans 11 can then be removed from arm end 10 by detaching coupling 17,so that it is available for programming further manipulators. Asdescribed hereinbefore, gripping hand 1 is then connected via couplings13, 15 and coupling piece 14 to the connecting piece 12.

According to FIG. 1, use is made of a programming means 11, such as isdescribed as the programming grip in Austrian Pat. No. 365 503. Thisprogramming means 11 has an inner part 18, which is rigidly connected toarm end 10. Inner part 18 is surrounded by a sleeve 19, which is rigidlyconnected to coupling 27. Leaf springs are provided between sleeve andinner part. Each spring is arranged on the inner part at one end andcarries at the other end a ball, against which engage stops, which arerigidly connected to the sleeve. Two sensors are associated with eachleaf spring. The coordinate centre of the programming means isdesignated 20. Programming in direction X will be explained hereinafter.

Two leaf springs 21, 21' are connected to inner part 18 and are arrangedat right angles to the X-axis on either side of the coordinate centre20. The balls of both leaf springs 21, 21' are surrounded on either sideby stops 22, 22' and 23, 23', which are connected to sleeve 19. Oneither side of leaf spring 21 are provided sensors 24, 24' and on eitherside of leaf spring 21' are provided sensors 25, 25'. On performing amovement in the X-direction, springs 21, 21' are bent, so that thesensors 24, 25 produce equally large signals with respect to oneanother, which differ from the reciprocally equally large signals ofsensors 24', 25'.

However, if hand 16 performs a rotary movement dz about axis z, thensensors 24, 25 produce equally large signals, which differ to theequally large signals of sensors 24', 25. In the case of theaforementioned movements x and dz, there is no influencing of leafspring 26, which detects the movement in the y-direction. The furtherconstruction and operation of programming means 11 can be gathered fromthe aforementioned Austrian Pat. No. 365 503.

The programming means 11, according to FIG. 1, is of the type in whichthe sensors are arranged in comparable manner to an electric parallelconnection between inner part 18 and sleeve 19, so that in each case onepair of sensors is associated with a movement direction and only thispair of sensors produces signals when a movement is performed with whosemovement direction it is associated. The programming means 11', showndiagrammatically in FIG. 1 differs therefrom. It shows a first leafspring 28 with associated sensors, which are on the one hand connectedto the arm end and on the other to a connecting piece. In the extensionof this connecting piece is provided a second leaf spring 29 withassociated sensors, whose plane is at right angles to the plane of leafspring 28. This leaf spring 29 is connected via a further connectingpiece to a leaf spring 30 with associated sensors, whose plane is atright angles to the planes of leaf springs 28, 29. This leaf spring 30is then connected to coupling 27. If movements of hand 16 are initiatedvia coupling 27 on programming means 11', then the sensors associatedwith leaf springs 28, 29, 30 produce signals, which are superimposed onone another for the movement directions. In the case of a movement aboutthe z-axis for example the springs 28, 30 are bent, so that thecorresponding sensors produce signals, which subsequently requiredecoupling.

On programming means 11 is provided a push-button switch 31, whichserves as a dead switch and during programming is operated by one fingerof the other hand of the programming person. If a wrong movement of themanipulator occurs during programming, then due to the release of thepush-button switch 31, the complete drive of the manipulator is suddenlystopped.

I claim:
 1. A gripping hand for a manipulator, said gripping handcomprising:a plurality of hollow members simulating the human hand,including finger members and a hand back member said plurality of hollowmembers being interconnected in an articulated manner, a reversiblyactuated positioning drive and a sensor being associated with each ofsaid plurality of hollow members, said sensors detecting, forprogramming purposes, movements of said plurality of hollow membersderived from a human hand inserted in said plurality of hollow membersand signals generated by said sensors determining a program to be laterperformed by said plurality of hollow members, as controlled by aparticular positioning drive, an arm, said plurality of hollow membersbeing detachably connected on said arm and said arm being programmableby the movements of said hand back member, if a human hand performingmovements is inserted in said plurality of hollow members and said armis able to perform movements in three axes which are perpendicular toone another and also rotary movements, a programming means mounted onsaid arm, a rigid connecting piece connected to said arm, an end of saidconnecting piece remote from said arm having a first coupling, an end ofsaid programming means remote from said arm being connected to said handback member facing said arm and said hand back member being detachablyconnected via said first coupling to said rigid connecting piece, saidprogramming means being detachably connected to said arm, and said rigidconnecting piece including a coupling member detachably connected via athird coupling to said connecting piece and carrying said firstcoupling.
 2. Gripping hand according to claim 1, wherein said end ofsaid programming means remote from said arm includes a second coupling,with which said programming means is detachably connected to said handback member.
 3. Gripping hand according to claim 1, wherein saidprogramming means for each movement direction of said arm has at leastone sensor means.
 4. Gripping hand according to claim 3, wherein saidprogramming means includes an inner part rigidly connectable to said armand a sleeve engaging surrounding said inner part, said sleeve beingconnectable to said hand back member, and said sensor means beingarranged between said inner part and said sleeve.
 5. Gripping handaccording to claim 1, wherein a push-button switch is arranged on saidprogramming means.
 6. A gripping hand for a manipulator, said grippinghand comprising:a plurality of hollow members simulating the human hand,including finger members and a hand back member said plurality of hollowmembers being interconnected in an articulated manner, a reversiblyactuated positioning drive and a sensor being associated with each ofsaid plurality of hollow members, said sensors detecting, forprogramming purposes, movements of said plurality of hollow membersderived from a human hand inserted in said plurality of hollow membersand signals generated by said sensors determining a program to be laterperformed by said plurality of hollow members, as controlled by aparticular positioning drive, an arm, said plurality of hollow membersbeing detachably connected on said arm and said arm being programmableby the movements of said hand back member, if a human hand performingmovements is inserted in said plurality of hollow members and said armis able to perform movements in three axes which are perpendicular toone another and also rotary movements, a programming means mounted onsaid arm, a rigid connecting piece, an end of said rigid connectingpiece remote from said arm having a first coupling, an end of saidprogramming means remote from said arm being connected to said hand backmember facing said arm and said hand back member being detachablyconnected via said fist coupling to said rigid connecting piece, saidprogramming means for each movement direction of said arm having atleast one sensor means, said programming means including an inner partrigidly connectable to said arm and a sleeve surrounding said innerpart, said sleeve being connectable to said hand back member and saidsensor means being arranged between said inner part and said sleeve. 7.Gripping hand according to claim 6, wherein said end of said programmingmeans remote from said arm includes a second coupling, with which saidprogramming means is detachably connected to said hand back member. 8.Gripping hand according to claim 6, wherein said programming means isdetachably connected to said arm.
 9. Gripping hand according to claim 8,wherein said connecting piece includes a coupling member detachablyconnected via a third coupling to said rigid connecting piece andcarries said first coupling.
 10. Gripping hand according to claim 1,wherein a push-button switch is arranged on said programming means. 11.A gripping hand on a manipulator adapted to be manipulated by a humanoperator to perform a task during a programming mode of operation,wherein different portions of said gripping hand and said manipulatorare moved during said programming mode and signals representative of themovements are recorded for purposes of later driving said differentportions to effect like movements during an operating mode of operation,said gripping hand of said manipulator comprising:a hollow central handmember, a plurality of hollow finger members interconnected sequentiallyto one another and to said central hand member by a plurality of pivotaljoints forming hollow articulated finger units which receive fingers ofa human operator and which is capable of movements about said jointsthrough a range of movement corresponding to those of the human fingersduring said programming mode, a plurality of finger member sensorelements for sensing movements of said finger members to generatesignals representative of said movements during said programming mode, aplurality of finger member driving means responsive respectively to saidsignals for moving said finger members relative to one another andrelative to said central hand member during said operating mode, a rigidconnecting piece on an arm of said manipulator, a coupling member whichis detachably connected via a first coupling to said connecting pieceand via a third coupling to said hand, and programming means on said armparallel to said connecting piece for programming movements of said armin three perpendicular axes and around said axes during said programmingmode, the end of said programming means remote from said arm beingconnected to said central hand member.
 12. A gripping hand as defined inclaim 11, wherein said programming means is detachably connected to saidarm and to said central hand member.
 13. A gripping hand as defined inclaim 11, wherein said programming means includes an inner part rigidlyconnected to said arm, a sleeve surrounding said inner part and sensormeans arranged between said inner part and said sleeve for sensingmovements of said sleeve relative to said inner part in saidperpendicular axes and around said axes during said programming mode,said sleeve being connected to said central hand member.